The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for optical inspection, and specifically to systems for detecting and classifying defects on substrates such as semiconductor wafers.
Optical inspection is commonly used in semiconductor device manufacturing to detect defects on the surface of a wafer, such as contaminant particles, scratches and digs. Undetected defects can cause device failures, thus reducing substantially the process yield. Therefore, careful inspection is required to verify the cleanliness and quality both of unpatterned wafers and of patterned wafers at various stages in the manufacturing process. It is desirable not only to detect the presence of defects, but also to classify them in terms of type and size, so that appropriate corrective action can be taken.
Generally speaking, the most reliable way to detect and classify defects is to capture and analyze an image of the wafer surface, but this approach is extremely time-consuming. The diameter of current semiconductor wafers typically ranges between 20 and 30 cm, over which defects as small as 0.1 xcexcm must be detected. Therefore, to inspect and classify defects over the entire wafer, it is necessary to scan the surface at very high resolution. This approach requires costly optics, detectors and image processors, and even with high-speed image capture and processing electronics cannot reach a level of throughput sufficient to allow all wafers in process to be inspected.
An alternative approach, based on dark-field scattering detection, is proposed by Smilansky et al. in PCT Patent Publication WO 00/02037. This publication claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/110,870, which is assigned to the assignee of the present patent application and whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. Smilansky et al. described a wafer inspection system based on an optical detection head that comprises a laser and an number of light sensors, which are fed by fiberoptic light collectors arrayed around the laser. The optical head is positioned over the wafer surface, and the wafer is rotated and translated so that the laser beam scans over the surface. (Equivalently, the head could be moved over the wafer.) The sensors detect the radiation that is scattered from the surface in different angular directions simultaneously, as determined by the positions of the fiberoptics. For each pixel (defined as the area covered by the laser spot on the wafer surface at the moment the sensors are sampled), a signature is determined by the spatial pattern and intensity of the scattered radiation. The signature indicates whether there may be a defect present at the pixel and, if so, gives a general indication as to its size and type. The inventors note that their system is suitable to be integrated with a production process tool for xe2x80x9cinlinexe2x80x9d inspection.
Another dark-field wafer inspection system is described by Marxer et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,271,916, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. In this system, a laser beam is directed toward the wafer surface in a normal direction and scans the surface along a spiral path. An ellipsoidal mirror is used to collect the laser radiation that is scattered from the surface at angles away from the normal. Preferably, light scattered within a first range of angles is collected by one detector, while that scattered within a second range of angles is scattered by another detector. The different detector signals are used to distinguish large defects from small defects.
It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide an optical inspection system, particularly for semiconductor wafers, that provides both high throughput and precise classification of detected defects.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, an inspection system comprises dual optical heads: a high-speed scanning head and a high-resolution imaging head. The high-speed head scans the entire surface of the sample under test and is used to identify the locations of suspected defects. The high-resolution head then captures images of these locations, so that the defects can be identified and classified with confidence. Preferably, the high-speed head comprises a dark-field scattering detector, such as that described by Smilansky et al. in the references cited above, while the high-resolution imaging head comprises an image sensor, such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor array.
Most preferably, the two optical heads are mounted together in a single mechanical assembly, so that the relative positions of the heads are known and fixed. The assembly is advanced over the surface in such a way that each point scanned by the high-speed head subsequently enters the field of view of the high-resolution imaging head. Thus, the imaging head is able to capture high-resolution images at the discrete locations that are flagged by the high-speed head as suspected defects, while the high-speed head continues its scan. Although readout and analysis of the high-resolution images are relatively slow, they have little or no impact on the overall scanning speed or throughput of the system, since only a limited number of these images are captured and processed.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, apparatus for inspection of a sample, including:
an optical assembly, which includes first and second optical heads including respective first and second radiation detection devices, which are configured to capture radiation scattered from a succession of spots on a surface of the sample with respective first and second levels of spatial resolution, and to generate respective first and second signals responsive to the captured radiation, such that the second level of spatial resolution is substantially higher than the first level;
a positioning device, which is adapted to impart motion to at least one of the optical assembly and the sample, so as to cause the optical assembly to scan over the surface of the sample, whereby the first and second optical heads are positioned over the spots in the succession; and
an inspection controller, which is coupled to receive and process the first and second signals and, responsive to the first signal, to identify a subset of the spots that should be inspected at the second level of spatial resolution, to control the second optical head so as to capture the scattered radiation from the spots in the subset, and to analyze the second signal to determine characteristics of the spots in the subset.
Preferably, the first and second optical heads further include respective first and second radiation sources, which are adapted to irradiate the spots in the succession, so as to generate the scattered radiation captured by the first and second radiation detection devices, respectively. Most preferably, the first and second radiation sources include laser sources.
In a preferred embodiment, the first radiation detection device includes a plurality of optical detectors, which are configured to capture the radiation scattered from the spots at different, respective angles, and the inspection controller is adapted to compare intensities of the radiation captured at the different angles so as to determine which of the spots should be included in the subset.
Preferably, the inspection controller is adapted, responsive to the first signal, to make an assessment as to a possible presence of defects in the sample at the spots in the succession, and to include the spots in the subset responsive to the assessment. Most preferably, the inspection controller is adapted to analyze the second signal so as to classify the defects at the spots in the subset.
Preferably, the second radiation detection device includes at least one image sensor, and the inspection controller is adapted to process the second signal so as to form an image of a vicinity of each of the spots in the subset, and to analyze the image in order to determine the characteristics of the spots. Most preferably, the second optical head includes a radiation source, which is adapted to direct one or more pulses of the radiation toward each of the spots in the subset while the optical assembly is scanning over the surface, which radiation is captured by the at least one image sensor to generate the second signal, so that the image of the vicinity of each of the spots is formed substantially without blur due to the motion. In a preferred embodiment, the radiation source includes a plurality of lasers, which are arranged to irradiate each of the spots at different, respective angles relative to the surface, or which are adapted to irradiate each of the spots in different, respective spectral ranges.
In an alternative embodiment, the at least one image sensor includes a plurality of image sensors, which are arranged to capture the radiation scattered from the surface at different, respective angles relative to the surface, or which are adapted to capture the radiation scattered from the surface in different, respective spectral ranges.
Preferably, the positioning device is adapted to rotate and translate the sample so that the optical assembly scans over the surface in a generally spiral pattern. Further preferably, the optical assembly is adapted to hold the first and second optical heads in substantially fixed relative positions. Most preferably, the positioning device is adapted to impart the motion so that, as the optical assembly scans over the surface, each of the spots over which the first optical head is positioned is subsequently positioned under the second optical head. Thus, the first and second heads are typically able to capture the radiation scattered from different ones of the spots in the succession and to generate the respective first and second signals responsive thereto substantially simultaneously, while the optical assembly is scanning over the surface of the sample.
There is also provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for inspection of a sample, including:
scanning first and second optical heads including respective first and second radiation detection devices over a surface of the sample, so as to position each of the heads over a succession of spots on the surface, the first and second heads being characterized by respective first and second levels of spatial resolution, such that the second level is substantially higher than the first level;
capturing first radiation scattered from each of the spots using the first radiation detection device at the first level of spatial resolution, and generating a first signal responsive to the captured first radiation;
receiving and processing the first signal, so as to identify a subset of the spots that should be inspected at the second level of resolution; and
capturing second radiation scattered from the spots in the identified subset using the second radiation detection device at the second level of resolution, and generating a second signal responsive to the captured second radiation; and
analyzing the second signal to determine characteristics of the spots in the subset.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which.